Kansas focusing on NCAA advancement, not historic wins race with Kentucky
By beating Providence in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game Friday, Kansas will supplant Kentucky as the program with the most all-time victories in college basketball.
“All that means to me is that we beat Providence . . . ,” Kansas Coach Bill Self said during a teleconference Tuesday. “I think those types of things are great. You can use that for recruiting, potentially, if you’re ever in that position. I’m sure Kentucky has used that over the years, which they should. Maybe if we ever get there, we can use it as well.”
Kansas and Kentucky each have 2,353 victories.
“I don’t really think that what happens now really has a lot to do with what happened in 1915 and 1935 and other years like that,” Self said. “We hope that we become that. But for me and our players, it’s only because it meant we won one more game.”
Kansas forward Jalen Wilson also suggested the distinction of most all-time victories was not a high priority.
“It’s definitely a great honor,” he said before adding, “I haven’t really thought about it.
“But it’s definitely an honor to the school (and) a representation of all the history that’s been here (and) all the different players who’ve been through here and earned those wins. It’s special to be the team able to get that.”
UK 80, Kansas 62
Of course, Kentucky won 80-62 at Kansas on Jan. 29.
“I actually think that game was good for us,” Self said. “Even if we were good that game, I’m not sure our good would have been good enough to beat their great. . . . They were fabulous. That game they were by far the best team we played this year.”
Losing by such a large margin at home in a nationally televised game featuring the two winningest programs was disappointing, Self said.
While expressing regret that Kansas fans had to endure such a defeat, Self said his team benefited.
“It humbled us to know, in order for us to compete at the highest level, which they were that day, we’ve got to get a lot better in a lot of areas.
“It was probably as important a game as we played this year. I know we had some big games. But I’m not sure any win was bigger or better for us than that loss.”
Down to one
Among the six Southeastern Conference teams receiving bids to this year’s NCAA Tournament, only Arkansas advanced beyond the first weekend.
Coach Eric Musselman chose to accentuate the positive when asked about being the last SEC team still playing for a second straight year.
“I think, No. 1, it’s just so hard to make the tournament . . . ,” Musselman said. “It’s really difficult. Our league was really represented so well by the number of teams that got into the tournament.
“And then it’s really hard to win a game in the tournament. It’s really hard.”
Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama all lost in first- or second-round games.
Arkansas beat Vermont 75-71 in the first round and then New Mexico State 53-48 in the second round. Next up is the top seed in the West Regional, Gonzaga, on Thursday.
“We’re happy we’re still alive and we’re still playing and we’re still giving ourselves an opportunity to compete,” Musselman said.
The Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference have the most teams in the Sweet 16. Each has three: Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State from the Big 12, and Duke, North Carolina and Miami from the ACC.
There are two teams each from the Pac-12 (UCLA, Arizona), Big Ten (Purdue, Michigan) and Big East (Villanova, Providence).
Besides the SEC, conferences with one team in the Sweet 16 are the West Coast (Gonzaga), American Athletic (Houston) and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Saint Peter’s).
The Arkansas coach defended the quality of SEC basketball this season.
“I think over the course of the entire season that the SEC is still as good as any conference in college basketball,” Musselman said. “And I think that’ll be proven on draft day with the number of talented players that get drafted. Just like the last few years where we have more draft picks than any conference.”
Like father, like son
Samford Athletics Director Martin Newton, the son of former UK player and later director of athletics C.M. Newton, has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee (aka the selection committee), the NCAA announced.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be asked to serve on this prestigious committee,” Newton said in a statement. “The game of basketball has been such an important part of my life. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to a game that has meant so much to me and my family.”
While Kentucky’s director of athletics, C.M. Newton served on the selection committee from 1992-99, and chaired the committee his final two years.
Another athletics official with ties to UK was also named to the selection committee, Minnesota Athletic Director Mark Coyle, who earlier in his career worked in UK’s athletics department, was named to fill a vacancy created when Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips became commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Men’s NCAA Tournament on TV
Thursday
7 p.m.: Arkansas vs. Gonzaga (CBS)
7:15 p.m.: Michigan vs. Villanova (TBS)
About 9:30 p.m.: Texas Tech vs. Duke (CBS)
About 9:45 p.m.: Houston vs. Arizona (TBS)
Friday
7 p.m.: Saint Peter’s vs. Purdue (CBS)
7:15 p.m.: Providence vs. Kansas (TBS)
About 9:30 p.m.: North Carolina vs. UCLA (CBS)
About 9:45 p.m.: Iowa State vs. Miami (TBS)
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
